jacobs-greenwood Cameron Hawley's novel about the politics inherent in corporate boardrooms became the essential business drama Executive Suite (1954). With that film's Oscar nominated cinematographer (George J. Folsey) and supporting actress (Nina Foch) as well as Dean Jagger and character actor Edgar Stehli, this one was made into a comedy featuring James Garner (in the title role) and Natalie Wood. It was adapted by Lenore J. Coffee and Marion Hargrove, and directed by Joseph Pevney.The story has enough misdirection (and at least one dead end) in it to keep it interesting, even if (at times) it gets somewhat confusing, but Garner's charm and Wood's natural beauty makes it eminently watchable.The cast also includes E.G. Marshall, Henry Jones, Otto Kruger, Roland Winters and Edward Platt as key players in the various dealings by McCall, an elusive character whose reputation is not unlike Wall Street (1987)'s Gordon Gekko.McCall wants to buy Grant Austen's (Jagger) plastics company, in part because Austen's daughter is Lory (Wood), a woman with whom he has an unrequited past. Jones (whose boss is Platt) plays McCall's associate, Marshall his lawyer and Kruger his banker. Winters and Foch (her boss is Stehli) are the foe and foil that add conflict to the initially smooth transaction and romance.

wes-connors Stock market tycoon James Garner (as Cash McCall) pursues pretty children's book illustrator Natalie Wood (as Lory). Previously, they had something of a summer romance, when Ms. Wood's character fell hopelessly and head over heels for Mr. Garner (as you will surely notice in the character's demeanor). Older divorcée Nina Foch (as Maude Kennard) is also hot for the "Maverick" TV star. Complicating matters, Wood is the daughter of businessman Dean Jagger (as Grant Austen), who owns the "Austen Plastics" company Garner hopes to acquire. The cast, color, and sets are attractive - but, the story is amazingly obvious, and dully performed by the co-starring couple. Listen up for Garner to tell the General he's "up the well-known creek…without a paddle." **** Cash McCall (1/20/60) Joseph Pevney ~ James Garner, Natalie Wood, Nina Foch, Dean Jagger

Cammy-3 One of my favorite movies as a child. Look at her face in the close-ups, when the movie flashes back to their meeting in the rain at his mountain cabin! Such a romantic movie, and Ms. Woods' clothes are fabulous examples of 50s high fashion. And Cash Mc Call's penthouse is a perfect high-tech palace for the times.Natalie has the doting parents we all wished we had back then and a mother who is worried this beautiful creature will be an old maid at 23. Ah, life was simple then.The business oriented plot is engaging, the dialogue springy and believable for the times. Though marraige and family are still the only acceptable goals for good girls in this story, you don't care as you root for true love to conquor all and the cold business man to see the light and let the good guys win.Rent it, if you have never seen it. An underappreciated gem. I wish I had told Ms. Wood how much I liked the film, the one time I met her in the late sixties, but she was rather pregnant at the time and not terribly concerned with her career.

Stefan Kahrs In many respects this looks like a 1980s film that has been moved through a hole in the time/space continuum into 1959. From a cynical 1990s perspective, much of it is probably a touch too sweet, especially the romance, but the way high-flying business is portrayed was way ahead of its time. It is very much as we would find it in mid-1980s films such as Wall Street or Other People's Money. In case some of the dialogue/monologue sounds familiar: Pretty Woman seems to have "borrowed" significant chunks.